1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to checking the compliance with standards of files in a web-based application. More specifically, the present invention relates to a custom wrapper which cooperates with a standard global standards compliance checker (GSCC) to check the standards compliance of files.
2. Description of the Related Art
A global standards compliance checker (GSCC) is often utilized as a part of, or in conjunction with, applications to ensure that files such as data files are in compliance with standards. Standards may include “rules” such as a naming convention for file names. If the standards compliancy of a file is not checked, and a file that is not compliant with standards is stored in a repository, substantially anyone with access to the repository has access to the file. Operating on or with a file that is not compliant with standards may compromise the integrity of operations performed using the file. By way of example, if a file that is not compliant with standards is used as the basis for creating a program or an application, the program that is created is likely not to be compliant with standards. Hence, the integrity of the program may be greatly compromised.
Typically, running a global standards compliance check using a GSCC successfully prevents files that are not compliant with global standards from being stored in a repository. Specifically, before a file may be “checked into” or otherwise stored in a repository, a GSCC is often used to determine whether the file is in compliance with standards. As shown in FIG. 1, when a file 102 is to be checked into a repository 106, file 102 is processed by a GSCC 104.
With reference to FIG. 2, a process of utilizing a GSCC will be described. A process 200 of utilizing a GSCC begins at step 202 in which a GSCC is run on a file that is intended to be checked into a repository. Once the GSCC is run, a determination is made in step 204 regarding whether the file passes the GSCC check. That is, it is determined in step 204 if the file is compliant with global standards. If the determination in step 204 is that the file passes the GSCC check, the file is checked into the repository in step 206. Upon checking the file into the repository, the process of utilizing a GSCC is completed.
Alternatively, if it is determined in step 204 that the file does not pass the GSCC check, the indication is that at least some components of the file are not compliant with global standards. Accordingly, process flow moves to step 208 in which the file is rejected for check in, e.g., the file is deemed as being unsuitable for storage in the repository. After the file is rejected for repository check in, the process of utilizing a GSCC file is completed.
While a GSCC is suitable for use in checking standards compliancy of files prior to storing the files in a repository, it is often necessary to update the standards that a GSCC may check for. In other words, a GSCC generally must be updated whenever files that are to be checked using the GSCC have specialized standards, if compliance with substantially all standards associated with the file are to be checked. FIG. 3 is a block diagram representation of a system in which an updated GSCC is used to check the standards compliance of a file created using a program with specialized standards. When a file 302 created by a program 308 which has specialized standards, i.e., standards which are not part of an existing GSCC, is to be checked into a repository 306, an updated GSCC 304 is obtained and used to check the specialized standards. Updated GSCC is arranged to check file 302 for compliance with specialized standards.
Referring next to FIG. 4, one method of ensuring that a GSCC may be used with files generated by a particular program will be described. A process 400 of ensuring that a GSCC is suitable for use with a program begins at step 402 in which it is determined whether a program that generates or includes files that are to be checked with a GSCC has program-specific standards. In other words, it is determined in step 402 if a GSCC needs to be modified to check standards associated with the program.
If the determination is that a program has no program-specific standards, then the indication is that a standard GSCC, e.g., an existing GSCC, may be used. Accordingly, in step 410, an existing GSCC is used to check the compliance of program files that are to be checked into a repository, and the process of ensuring that a GSCC is suitable for use is completed.
Alternatively, if the determination in step 402 is that a program has program-specific standards, the implication is that a standard GSCC will need to be updated to accommodate the program-specific standards. Hence, from step 402, process flow moves to step 404 in which access to the GSCC is obtained. Obtaining access to the GSCC may involve contacting a provider of the GSCC, or obtaining source code associated with the GSCC. Once access to the GSCC is obtained, the GSCC is effectively recoded in step 406 to account for the program-specific standards. After the GSCC is recoded, the recoded GSCC may be used in step 408 to check compliance of files associated with the program before check in, and the process of ensuring that a GSCC is suitable for use is completed. Often, using the recoded GSCC includes ensuring that the recoded GSCC is still compatible with an overall system.
The need to update a GSCC to accommodate each new standard that is to be checked may be both time intensive and inefficient. Updating a GSCC is often time consuming, as a customer of a GSCC application may need to contact the supplier of the GSCC to update the GSCC. Further, once the updated version of a GSCC is received by a customer, the customer may need to determine whether the updated GSCC is compatible with his or her overall system. Such a determination may also be time consuming, and may affect the performance of the overall system if the overall system is taken offline during the determination.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and an apparatus which allows new or specialized standards to be readily incorporated with a global standards compliance check process. That is, what is desired is a system which allows the compliance of a file to standards which are not included in a GSCC to be efficiently checked.